Ana listened to what the voice had to say, she glanced at Zack, he was looking at her. She smiled at him but it was a weak smile.

“ Ok, I’ll call you back and we’ll talk more.” Ana said before she hung up the phone. She raked her hair back and pulled the sheet higher.

“ Talk to me Ana, what’s going on?” Zack asked as he ran his hand down her cheek.

“ It’s nothing. An old friend’s in town and he wants to catch up.” Ana explained and that lie left a bad taste in her mouth. She trusted Zack so much, she gave him everything of herself but she couldn’t tell him this.

“ Alright. You look a little worried, is everything ok?” Zack asked, caressing the side of her face.

“ Everything’s fine.” Ana said before she leaned in and kissed him. She wanted to kiss him but it was also a cover up to stop him from asking more questions. Just when she told him everything, a part of her past she had forgotten came back and she was glad but hurt because she was lying to the man she was in love with.

She leaned back on the bed and Zack came with her. He pulled the sheet down as he continued to kiss her mouth. He brought his hand down to her breast she slowly massaged it.

They made love to each other again, better then the first time but Ana couldn’t forget what she was doing and what she would do once her time with Zack ended, once she left his bed.

Ana turned and saw Zack had fallen back to sleep. Looking at his peaceful form made her smile a bitter smile because she had to go. She carefully stood and left his room.

She took the fastest shower of her life and dressed in a pair of jeans and t-shirt. She packed up a bag and note Zack a letter, slipping it under his door. Then she was gone.

She walked away from the house and grabbed a taxi when she was far enough, she was running. The one thing she never wanted to do. She felt tears in her eyes. She wanted to stay with Zack but she couldn’t. She closed her eyes tight, just wanting to forget everything good.

Ana was finally becoming happy and she was getting a family, Jackie and Dr. Henson were so great and Zack… no thinking of him. She looked out the window and watching the passing green tress and other cars.

“Goodbye.” Ana softly whispered.

-

It was an hour later Zack guessed, when he woke up. He looked around, Ana was gone. The thought of her made him smile but his smile faded because something felt wrong. He stood from the messy bed and pulled on his shorts. He saw the note on the floor.

He raked his hair back as he picked up the folded piece of paper.

‘ Something came up and I had to go. Please don’t worry and please don’t look for me because this is something I had to do. Maybe one day we’ll see each other again and I’ll tell you everything but I don’t know when or if I’ll be back. I left my key. Please tell Jackie I’m sorry for leaving without seeing her. Zack you gave me everything I ever wanted, thank you. Goodbye, Ana.’

Zack had sat down at the edge of the bed. She didn’t want him to look for her but that was something he couldn’t not do. He had to find her because why so all of a sudden had she left? He hated himself for thinking like a reporter because it wasn’t just about that anymore, he loved her. He had everything he needed to write a paper about her but he couldn’t do that. No matter what the cost, he wouldn’t hurt that way.

“ Where to start?” Zack asked him aloud. He grew angry because after what they shared, she just left, without a word. Why couldn’t she tell him? She told him so much already. Why was she hiding? He kept wondering over and over till it hurt.

He needed help to track Ana down and one name came to mind, Avery Hanan. His cousin on the Seattle Police department detective team. He picked up the phone and dialed the number. He knew this would piss Ana off because she asked him not to look. But he wasn’t looking, he just wanted to know what she was up to, the rest of her puzzle.

“ Yeah?”

“ Hey.” Zack said.

“ Oh you, this can’t be good.”

“ Well hello to you too.”

“ Sorry, hi. Again this can’t be good, you only call when you need something.” Avery pointed out.

“ That’s not true.”

“ Yes it is. You call Monica all the time. Me you call when you need something.” Avery bitterly explained. She’s always been close to her family and she and Zack were like brother and sister but he moved away and now only called when he needed something.

Zack brushed off what she said because well it was true. He made a note to change that but at the moment, he needed her help. “ How is Monica?” he asked. Not wanting to jump and ask for help because that would just prove her more right.

“ She’s fine, busy with Lily Ann.” Avery explained. Monica, her sister, just had a baby girl.

“ That’s great.” Zack said. A few minutes of silence then he got to the point. “ I do need your help.”

“ Ha! I knew it. Fine, what do you want and it better not cost me anything.” Avery warned, thinking back to the last time she helped her little cousin.

“ I need you to dig around a little bit for me.”

“ Why? You can do that Mr. Reporter.”

“ Not the way you can. I need a case file for years back.” Zack explained. He knew asking this could get her in serious trouble if someone found out she gave it to him.

“ I said this better not cost me anything. This could cost my job if someone found out I gave a police report to a civilian and much less a reporter.” Avery explained in a low voice since she was at work.

“ Avery please.” Zack begged.

“ I’ll hear you out but I’m not agreeing to anything yet.” Avery said.

Zack explained everything he knew about Ana and that night.

“ I remember hearing about that on the news.” Avery said once her cousin explained everything, including what he was going to do. “ So you were going to work her for info but now you’re not?”

“ Yup.”

“ Why? What changed your mind?”

“ I fell in love with her.” Zack admitted.

“ Yeah, that’ll get you every time. So now she left and you’re hoping that made the case file could lead you in the right direction to where she’s headed?” Avery asked. She was becoming interested but she wouldn’t let that on because every time she agreed to help Zack, something went wrong.

“ Right again. I have a feeling the reason she left so all of a sudden has something to do with what happened.” Zack explained. He prayed his gut was right because he needed to know Ana was ok. “ Are you going to help me or not?” he asked.

Avery let out a long sigh. “ Yes, I’ll freaking help you.”

Isabelle